This invention relates to valves for the control of fluid flow, and in particular, to a new and improved valve especially suited for post-mix dispensing of beverages where a concentrate is mixed with a diluent, typically a syrup with water or soda. A typical post-mix valve of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,810.
In post-mix dispensing, a "finished" beverage is produced by the mixing of a concentrate and a diluent at the time and point of dispensing. Typically, concentrate and diluent are brought to a valve controlling two flow paths, which valve when activated provides for flow of both concentrate and diluent to a mixing nozzle, with these two streams coming together over the container into which the drink is being dispensed.
Today's post-mix dispensers, such as that shown in the aforementioned patent, provide one or two diluent sources and a plurality of concentrate sources. Carbonated water or soda is provided as a diluent for drink syrups such as Coca-Cola, 7-Up and root beer. Also, plain water may be provided as a diluent for juice concentrates for producing noncarbonated beverages. Both carbonated and non-carbonated drinks can be provided from a dispenser of the conventional type, with one or more of the valves being dedicated to a non-carbonated diluent source and one or more dedicated to a soda source. This arrangement requires a predetermined fixed configuration for the flow paths within the housing of the dispenser and requires specific configuration orders from the customer, more complicated inventories and production control, and often longer lead times in responding to orders.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a solution to this problem. More specifically, it is an object to provide a new and improved valve having two inlet ports for flow control to an outlet port, with the valve being readily changed to permit flow only from the first inlet port or only from the second inlet port.
Valves used for flow control, such as that shown in the aforementioned patent, incorporate a number of sealing elements between the valve spindle and housing to avoid leakage and cross-contamination between adjacent flow streams. Common forms for such sealing elements are O-rings, packings, and V-seals, which typically are positioned in counterbores, seats and ring-grooves. Providing the locations for the sealing elements often requires additional machining steps during manufacture and additional steps in positioning the sealing elements during assembly. Also, replacement of individual sealing elements in an assembled unit requires disassembly at the sealing element and/or special tooling for accessing the sealing element.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a solution to this troublesome problem and more specifically, it is an object to provide a valve with a removeable seal cartridge slidingly insertable into the valve bore, with the valve spindle carried in the seal cartridge. It is another object of the invention to provide such a seal cartridge which can be integrally molded or otherwise produced with a plurality of seal rings so that the cartridge with the rings can be inserted into and removed from a bore without requiring disassembly of the valve.
Other objects, advantages, features and results will more fully appear in the course of the following description.